Griffin, who says he didn't intend to disparage Shanahan's play calling, has caught a lot of heat recently from Hall of Fame cornerback Darrell Green and Redskins receiver Santana Moss for not standing up and taking his share of responsibility for the team's 3-7 start.

Shanahan said Griffin has been a great leader, particularly when the quarterback went out of his way to seek out his offensive coordinator the day after the team's latest defeat.

"What helped me was that Robert did come in (Monday). I didn't ask him to. He came in and tried to clear it up with me and explain what he meant to say," Shanahan said Thursday. "Once I heard him and talked to him, I was fine with it. I didn't take anything personally. And it made sense to me. I had no problems with it."

RG3 and the Redskins sure could use a win Monday against the sputtering San Francisco 49ers (6-4) to erase growing perception they are fraying as a team.

In 2012, Griffin could do little wrong as the electric rookie led his team on a second-half playoff run that vaulted it from 3-6 to 10-6 and first place in the NFC East.

This dismal season has been far different.

Beyond struggling in his return from knee surgery, RG3 has taken flak for deflecting some of the blame for the team's poor start. However, any perception that his leadership is lacking might not be reality.

"He's been a great leader since he's been here," Shanahan said. "He's always around, and guys knew (last year) he was the leader."

When asked during a local radio interview about RG3's postgame criticism of receivers not getting open on his game-sealing interception, Moss said: "Regardless of the outcome, good or bad, you have to at some point stand up and say 'me' or 'I.' "

But Moss said his remarks were misinterpreted.

"That situation was blown out of proportion. It was nonsense," Moss told USA TODAY Sports. "Robert understands loud and clear what I said. We're good. ... I wasn't taking a shot at anybody. All I was saying was if it was me, I would handle it this way. I didn't call anybody out."

Moss thinks divisive forces exist outside the locker room rather than within it.

"Everything is positive. (The) only negative thing is the people around us trying to make things negative," he said.

Griffin said Wednesday he wished he had chosen his words more carefully after sparking the latest controversy around the team.

"I just have to know in that situation after a tough loss to a divisional opponent I can't give anybody any opportunity to read into my words and misinterpret anything," RG3 said. "I was trying to give a good compliment to Philly. I wasn't trying to take any shots at anybody and it turned out that way.

"You're asking me and, like I said, if I could take any of that back, yeah, I would take it back. Because in the heat of that moment, you're frustrated. ... You're trying to figure out why things didn't work.

"I'm trying to give you guys honest answers and it hurt us in that sense. ... That's on me."

Teammates say Griffin is still figuring how to comport himself as a superstar under constant scrutiny in a major media market.

"I don't need to hear what he says in an interview to make a decision on whether or not he's a leader - I know he's a leader," defensive lineman Kedric Golston told USA TODAY Sports.

"When you lose, people always try to put a negative spin on things. And that's a part of growing up for Robert - understanding the weight your words carry, understanding that with all the success you've had, people are going to come down on you a lot harder.

"The great thing about Robert is I'm sure he's learned from that situation to choose his words more carefully."

More important, he learned his teammates have his back.

"It's just the nature of the beast that a guy as popular and as polarizing as he is, anything he says is going to be picked apart," linebacker Ryan Kerrigan said. "We know he's a great leader and would never dog anybody in this locker room."